Hip Trash Garage
Here's my latest project. It started out as a 57 Studebaker Hawk that was literallly a basket case. I found it in the desert near L.A. where it had been stored for 20 years.It consisted of a frame,suspension, and drivetrain and a pile of body parts.The previous owner had started a restoration by rebuilding the suspension, and drivetrain. I assembled the parts I had, painted it black and drove it until a drunk ran a red light and destroyed the front end. That's when I decided to tear it apart and rebuild it as a custom rod. I've always enjoyed drawing and designing cars and I also had a dream of going over 200 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I started by rebuilding the stock Studebaker 289 V-8. Why use the stock motor? Studes had one of the strongest producion motors ever built. Forged steel rods and internal parts, heavy crank journals, extra head bolts and a gear driven cam, and being so sturdy they can take a lot of boost from superchargers.(they came stock with a Paxton or McCullough supercharger). I bored it out to 304 cubic inches, installed vintage factory speed parts - aluminum cam gears, pistons, race cam (Avanti R-3) etc. The original superchargers didn't supply enough boost to go 200mph, and aftermarket units wouldn't fit under the low 53 hood I was using. So I designed and built my own. It consists of a pressure box around a 750 Holley carb, and two intake tubes on either side . Each tube has graphite blade ducted fans inside, which are driven by compressed air jets. supplied by tanks in the trunk . These fans can spin at up to 50,000 RPM supplying massive boost pressures. There are also vortex jets that supply cold air and alcohol injection to control detonation.
Body --- I built the front end using a modified 53 Stude hood and hand built front end and grill. I took the stock fins off and built new steel fins and quarter panels. with large teardrop taillights and a 53 Stude trunk lid. Next I will cut the top off and install a wrap around windshield from a Stude sedan and a fastback rear glass from a 65 Barracuda .joined with custom T-tops .I've done all the work myself with basic tools, learning as I go. The body work is steel and aluminum and done the old school way with hammer and torch . I'm planning on having it finished in time to run at Bonneville in August 2012. Studebakers are very aerodynamic and are still used at Bonneville. the first stock bodied car to break 200mph was a 53 Stude . and Stude powered cars have gone over 200 . So ,200mph club here I come. Check back here for more photos soon. and to all the Studebaker purists who complain about my customising a rare car,I say " anyone can restore a car, it takes a real man to cut one up." Peace- Paris Clayton
